Yesterday I posted a blog about claiming my shamanic heritage, all the while aware of inner eye-rolling.When I myself encounter a westerner who calls herself a shaman, my first thought is, “Really? Make it rain.”

I’m sitting at the gate in the international terminal at LAX, waiting for my LAN flight to Peru. The years of wanting to go to Peru, the months of saying I’m going to Peru, the weeks of awaking anxiously in the middle of the night realizing I AM going to Peru, whether I’m ready or not, are nearly over. Eight hours from now—give or take a few for time differences—I will land in Lima and BE in Peru.

Ernest Holmes, founder of Science of Mind, wrote those words, which imply that we must respect all life--including our neighbor's, including our own--because that life is divine; it is of God.

On tax day, consider this: According to the nonpartisan Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in 2012 the U.S. Treasury will collect $1.09 trillion in personal income taxes. At the same time, the OMB estimates that in 2012 "National Defense" expenditures will total $709 billion--in other words, more than half of all the income taxes paid. That figure, however, is just the tip of the defense-spending iceberg. It doesn't include certain actual "war-related fighting costs," counter-terrorism activities, or the vast "homeland security" budget, among other items. A more comprehensive "estimate" puts total "national security" in 2012 at $1.22 trillion. In other words, it takes the entire personal income tax, and then some, to cover the costs of the American war machine--or what other observers would call "empire."

There are so many ways to be unprepared. As my trip to Peru comes rushing towards me, I'm experiencing them all.

Physically, my neck and spine are on the mend—less stiff and painful, more flexible and relaxed—thanks to three sessions a week with the chiropractor. But basic structural integrity does not make one fit in terms of physical stamina, or cardiovascular strength. My husband Micheal has been warning that “This trip to Peru is going to kick your butt,” and I believe him…but how much change can one body accomplish in the 10 days remaining between me and departure?

This is my shamanic journey month. Before the new moon on April 20, I will fly to Cuzco, Peru, and embark on a 16-day pilgrimage that will take me to Machu Picchu, on to Lake Titicaca—the lake at the top of the world—to the islands of both the sun and the moon, and to temples and holy sites with ancient Q’ero names. I will participate in ceremonies, purifications, and various healings. I will sit at the feet of the master plant, ayahuasca, and learn what she has to teach me.